Interchange

At a time historically when conversation is for the most part a lost art, I am amazed that the only people talking are those trapped next to each other on flights or in prison cells on lockdown, or on sinking ships once the last lifeboat is filled. Conversation is not the penalty for isolation, but often it feels such.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

We open with an interview with author, Doris I. Mangrum, whose A Soiled Identity: From Triumph to Tragedy and Back Again, tells the story of Darnell Cookson, former
Marine and former felon as he rejoins society. However, this is not a
typical rehabilitation story. Told in the protagonist's voice as if we
were seated in his home one evening getting to know one another, we meet
Darnell just as he arrives home from prison to new wife, new child and
many relationships he has to restore, like that between he and his two
older daughters by a prior marriage, and his kid brother who is making a
bit too much money fast. Darnell tries to hold his head up when
applications are rejected and interviews have no follow-up calls, but it
is hard. Darnell's reentry is a community venture; each chapter ends
with what Mangrum calls, "Choice Moments" where her audience gets to
imagine a "what if?" In "Live Your Life," the reader is invited to learn
from Darnell's experiences while we also gear up to participate in an
"Idea Infusion," which per chapter is a way to make the returning
veteran or prisoner feel welcome and supported, whether that is throwing
a "just because" party for children whose parents aren't home (349) or
developing a visitation and writing program for veterans in a VA
hospital (171).

Doris I. Mangrum is a nationally recognized motivational speaker, separation and reunification author, award-winning filmmaker, editorial columnist, family advocate, and television talk show host and producer. She is an authority on matters concerning the pangs of long separation and the reunification process. Her career spans over three decades with twenty-five of those years dedicated to families affected by incarceration, deployment, study abroad or any reason causing prolonged periods apart from loved ones.

Her radio and television broadcasting career includes:
2008 – 2009 – Pivotal Parenting Point with Doris Mangrum – KDYA Gospel 1190 AM – host and producer

The Village of Peace (SFJFF 2014) tells the story of the Hebrew Israelites, African Americans who moved from America to establish a home in Israel.Directors and producers join us this morning to close the show: Ben Schuder, Director/Producerand his brotherSam Schuder, Producer. Ben Schuder, Director/Producer – Born in Oakland, CA. Attended a high school program that inspired a passion for filmmaking. During the summer of 2005, Ben participated in a documentary workshop in Morelia, Mexico, where he helped teach students the art of documentary filmmaking. The experience motivated him to enroll in a film school in Los Angeles, where he graduated with honors. Since graduating, Ben has been working in the industry and gaining valuable experience while deepening his portfolio. In 2013, Ben co-edited the feature-length narrative film LICKS (2013), which premiered at SXSW Film Festival and won Best Picture at Chelsea Film Festival. The Village of Peace is Ben’s directorial debut.

Sam Schuder, Producer – A proud Oakland native, Sam grew up with a passion to create. In his teenage years, he made numerous short films, mostly improv comedies. In 2007, driven by his love for film, he moved to Los Angeles to develop his skills within the industry. He got a job in television production and gained valuable work experience. Sam's vision is to create content that inspires, empowers, and promotes positive social change. When he visited The Village of Peace for the first time, he realized that implementing his work experience to share the powerful story of the African-Hebrew Israelites would be a natural marriage.

Music this show: Ben Vereen: "Defying Gravity;" "With a Song in My Heart"

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Our first guest, Amikaeyla Gaston is a multiple-award-winning singer, international best-selling recording artist and cultural change catalyst working at the intersection between science and the arts - particularly music. As the Founder and Director of ICAHSI, the International Cultural Arts & Healing Sciences Institute, she travels the world as a cultural ambassador furthering surprising connections in unexpected places through the arts, activism, and advocacy.

Winner of eight Washington Area Music Association Awards for Best Jazz, World and Urban Contemporary Vocalist, Amikaeyla was named DC’s best female composer in 2006 and 2008. She also won the 2005 DC Mayor’s Arts Award for Innovation in the Arts, and was recently honored with first prize for Best World Music Composition from the 2010-2011 Maryland State Arts Council. Proclaimed as one of the “purest contemporary voices” by NPR, powerhouse Amikaeyla is “like listening to velvet waterfalls” (MTV) and her soulful flavor captures the listener with dynamic passion and sincerity. (http://amikaeyla.com/)

Following a tragic near-death experience caused by a hate-crime, Amikaeyla overcame death through music. After a year and a half in the burn units of Bethesda Naval hospital, Amikaeyla fully recovered and attributes that miraculous recovery to sonic healing. Invited by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to come to India and sing at the commemoration of the Golden Buddha Statue, Amikaeyla realized that her true calling was to heal others through music. Inspired and called to action by her connection with His Holiness, she subsequently founded the International Cultural Arts & Healing Sciences Institute. Since then she has been traveling the world as a cultural ambassador working with the UN and US State Department helping to alleviate the pain and trauma of war survivors, at-risk populations and refugees. She has appeared internationally on numerous radio and television programs performing and speaking, and recently was featured as a guest lecturer at the training academy for US diplomats at the Foreign Service Institute. There, Amikaeyla was asked to share insights, methods and tools with cultural and public affairs officers for the most effective use of art and artists in sharing the us with the world in ways beyond politics.

Her Music As Medicine - Healing with an Artful Purpose programming - a multi-faceted therapeutic approach through music, movement, & theater modalities - has taken her around the world to Cuba, China, Taiwan, Africa, India to work with women and children, and since last fall, she has been to Israel, Beirut, Amman,Damascus, Palestine, Tajikistan,Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan & Sierra Leone. This program has gained recognition and has been reviewed on national and international television. She is a featured presenter and trainer for the WorldTrust organization on Conflict Management, Resolution, and Cultural Competency in non-profit and health organizations throughout the nation and her work has been utilized and implemented by the Department of Health & Human Services, The American Psychological Association, US Consulate General’s Cultural Affairs office, Sabreen International, Department of Health & Human Services, National CityDance, and many more.

Our second guest, Kristoff St. John is best known for his role on ‘The Young and the Restless’ but the actor has much more than “soap star” on his resume. The NAACP award winner is releasing a new documentary, “A Man Called God” that took 33 years to film.

Father and Son, Christopher and Kristoff St. John

“A Man Called GOD” is a documentary that was written and produced by “The Young and the Restless” star Kristoff St. John. It explores the St. John family traveling from Los Angeles to India in search of God. The documentary itself took place in 1980, and what the family would soon uncover is that their quest would turn into something more devilish than one would think.

With a fan base of 50 Million people worldwide, Sai Baba performs modern day miracles; Healing the sick and diseased, materializing solid objects out of the air. The St John family, Christopher, Maria and 14 year old Kristoff are slowly swallowed up by Sai Baba and his cult as they participate in the spiritual daily ‘Ashram’ routine, documenting on film their treacherous visit. The cult eventually overwhelms the family, with Sai Baba revealing his demonic thirst for pedophilia and other evils. Short clip from film: http://buzzworthyradiocast.com/?p=316

Music from: Amikaelya's Being in Love and Lush, John Santos's Filosofía Caribeña, Vol. 2, Sweet Honey in the Rock's interpretation of the classic: "Motherless Child."

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

We open with an excerpt of a conversation with Professor KC Williamsabout a Hate Crime she experienced at Coastal Carolina Community
College in Jacksonville, North Carolina. To support her drive for legal council:
www.gofundme.com/Fight-the-Hate-in-NC

Gerald Lenoiris
the founding Executive Director and currently the Co-director of the
Black Alliance for Just Immigration founded in Oakland in 2006 to
support fair and just immigration reform and to bring African Americans
together with immigrant communities to fight for social and economic
justice. He is a founding steering committee member of the national
Black Immigration Network, a co-founder of the Priority Africa Network
in Oakland and a board member of the National Network for Immigrant and
Refugee Rights. www.blackalliance.org

For over 35 years, Gerald
has been a leader in progressive social movements. He is a board member
of the Interfaith Peace Builders and led its first African Heritage
Delegation to Israel/Palestine in 2011. He served on the editorial
board for War Times/Tiempo de Guerras, an anti-war national newspaper,
from 2002 to 2004. He is the former Executive Director of the Black
Coalition on AIDS in San Francisco and co-founder/former board chair of
the HIV Education and Prevention Project of Alameda County. Gerald is a
long time leader in the racial justice and anti-apartheid movements in
the United States. In addition, he has served as a strategic planning
consultant for social justice, immigrant rights, HIV/AIDS and
health-related organizations.

Sunday, July 27, 2014, 2-5 at Everett and Jones Barbecue in Jack London Square (2nd @ Broadway, Oakland, CA) there will be a program honoring Mr. Lenoir's legacy as he passes it forward to the current BAJI co-chair.

Martha R. Bireda, Ph.D., is the
Founder and Executive Director of the Blanchard House Museum of African
American History and Culture of Charlotte County (FL). She is Director
of the Museum’s Maroon Study Center, and the New Image Project, a
project dedicated to positive identity development of youth of color.
She is the author of six books including the recent: Obi: Seminole
Maroon Freedom Fighter. Dr. Bireda is also an Alternate Commissioner for
the Gullah‐Geechee Historical Corridor. Visit
http://www.maroonconsciousness.com/

Wednesday, July 09, 2014

TaSin Sabir joins us in the studio today to talk about her book, Madagascar Made (2014).

Her artwork can be described as vibrant and full of
powerful and emotional messages. Skilled in a range of mediums,
(including photography, painting, film, web & print design, and
screen printing), TaSin uses this love for art making to express topics
that are of an importance to her.

In 2004, TaSin graduated from California College of Arts and Crafts (now CCA), where she received a BFA in Fine Arts Photography.

Born and raised in Oakland, California TaSin’s artwork has been
exhibited all around the Bay Area and Nation. Such galleries include, The Oakland Museum of California, The African American Historical and Cultural Society Museum, The Richmond Art Center, The Judah Magnes Museum, Pro Arts Gallery, Joyce Gordon Gallery, and the African American Museum in Philadelphia. TaSin has also published another photography book with Dr. Sonia BasSheva Mañjon: 100 Families Oakland: Art & Social Change (2007).

In 2007, TaSin took her passion for art and love of her community and
opened a galley in Oakland called The Oakpod. During its time The Oakpod
was a vital source for art and entertainment in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since its
closure, TaSin has become an independent curator and
curated shows for the Joyce Gordon Gallery, Maafa organization and
others.

Currently TaSin is a freelance photographer and designer
specializing in utilizing all her skill sets to create one of a kind
projects for her clients.

For a Diaspora Citizen, true freedom lies in choosing where one belongs. Such is the case for TaSin Sabir who fell in love with Madagascar, its people, fauna and flora at eleven years old in a geography class. When she finally made a journey home recently as an adult, the Sakalava people (West Coast) embraced her too. Madagascar Made
(2014) illustrates this journey in bold, bright color. When TaSin
donned her people's traditional basket hat, even police were surprised
when this perceived native daughter spoke fluent English and carried an
American passport. His facial expression was priceless. This is the
creative genius of a Diaspora citizen, we belong and then, we do not.
Hidden in plain sight, Madagascar Made shows in several self-portraits, TaSin here and TaSin there--Madagascar portraits on sight juxtaposed with shots posed similarly on another West Coast. Madagascar Made
embraces the multiplicity of the African sojourn then and now and the
fact that we are a global presence to be embraced as TaSin Sabir does
photographically in this brilliant book.

Music this show: Rossy's One Eye on the Future, One Eye on the Past: "Mandry Ve," "Ramasy," and "Sira Sira." (Shanchie).

Friday, July 04, 2014

We opened with a prerecorded interview with Nefertina Abrams, Royal House of Makeda Productions, and Melame Gange, ModeAfrika apparel, (first aired 7/2/2014) re: Ubuntu-Faqir Simunye Pan African Love and Unity Festival on its concluding night, July 4, 2014, 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Humanist Hall on 27th Street, in Oakland. We open with Gange’s “African Suns.”

We then play a segment from an interview with Civil Rights Movement architect, Dave Dennis, who is just returning home from a successful 50th Anniversary Conference at Tougaloo College in Mississippi. The goal of the conference was to answer the following questions: What were the lessons learned? How do they apply to today’s challenges? What is the next phrase? How will an appropriate response be developed for the next phase?

While speaking to Mr. Dennis about the conference and current issues on the stove top boiling over presently like Voter’s Rights and Educational Opportunity, especially for black youth as access to higher education is still neither the norm or representative of the majority of black families, Mr. Dennis the first in his family to graduate from high school. 50 years later, I meet students in my classroom who are the first to graduate from high school and college.

Next steps obviously include access to college education and programs in place to address the attrition rate among black men. Ironically, the issues around voter’s rights are expiring as state’s reevaluate residents’ rights and make certain residents ineligible or make voter registration difficult and access to the polls another hurdle in a society where historic memory is a tragedy of youthful ignorance and social apathy.

The absence of such access reflects systemic efforts and a national move to keep black people forever on the bottom of the heap; if one limits a people’s access to knowledge, a permanent underclass is normalized. Not anything new, when one looks at the slave codes which forbade educating black people. Privatization of education, increased prison building and development, plus a legal framework which supports these insidious policies, just point to the massacre we are seeing unfolding as the cradle to prison pipeline grabs more and more of our youth, youth who are not able to compete intellectually in the ring and so become casualties. Call it preventable crib death.

The Algebra Project fits these children with gloves and schools them in a winning strategy, that is, how to win the battle which continues to rage 50 years after the strides made 50 years ago. The poison is in the formula, the bottle, the bedding, everything connected politically to our success as a nation up from slavery. We cannot trust anyone, especially a politician, to have our best interests at heart if we forget to hold these same interests dear as well.

"Dave Dennis was a Freedom Rider and Co-Director of the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) in Mississippi. Dennis was the Mississippi director of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), but he worked with SNCC members and other civil rights activists in Mississippi under the COFO umbrella to avoid intra-organizational conflicts. COFO organized activists for a Mississippi voter registration drive during "Freedom Summer." Dennis spoke at the funeral of James Chaney, and he worked closely with both Bob Moses and Medgar Evers" (Blackside, Inc.).

He writes on his website: Dave Dennis Connections that "he has been fifty years in the making. As a
speaker, Dave will make available to the public his experiences in the
Civil Rights Movement from 1960-1965, using those experiences to frame
his personal analysis of the impact of the Civil Rights Movement on
present society, both positive and negative, and to share his personal
experiences and observations on education that are derived from his
involvement with the Algebra Project and the impact of that work on the
present and future education system(s) in America."

In this work Mr. Dennis reflects on the battleground, tragedies of war and lessons he learned which were not necessarily anticipated. One of these that the United States under Johnson especially after JFK was killed, would not protect the Civil Rights volunteers. The FBI observed, yet did nothing to stop the bloodshed. In a preconference workshop, legal interns from throughout the country, with some from outside this nation, were assigned cold cases, that is, murder cases of black people also casualties of the Civil Rights Movement (1954-1965), plus Jim Crow Laws which have yet to be solved. The cases span the years 1910 t0 1979.

This organization founded by Dr. Margaret Burnham out of Northeastern University, the Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project (CRRJ) takes its lead from the reopening of, prosecution and resolution of the Emmett Till case, his murder said by many to be the start of the Civil Rights Movement. Mrs. Rosa Parks was certainly thinking of the youth when she refused to surrender her seat on the Montgomery bus not long after his murder. The Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007 passed unanimously on September 24, 2008, and signed into law by President George W. Bush in October 2008. See http://www.northeastern.edu/civilrights/

In many ways the passage of the Civil Rights Act, reflects a compromise which to date, still does not benefit black people who are in many ways worse off regarding economic access to wealth and quality education despite having so many black people in political office. It is a Trojan Horse, Mr. Dennis says of the Act, impressive, yet when one examines its interior--it leaves much to be desired. He says this as he proceeds to share the four buckets trajectory to outline next steps for the ensuing 50 years.

There was a lot of celebration and congratulations, I am certain at the grand reunion two weeks ago, but these elders or veterans of the Civil Rights Movement (CRM), men and women, plus the 700 or so youth were clear that the battle was not won as they rolled up their sleeves and joined hands. Mr. Dennis said it was easier to organize people 50 years ago because then people were more tangibly connected; now it is hard to find this same synergy within the black community. Even the churches are not as cohesive a destination as before, perhaps because many are so huge, parishioners do not have personal relationships with one another.

Nonetheless, people are encouraged to make their voices known to their city council, county supervisors, on up from governor and congress and senators to our president whose name is attached administratively to policies which undermine the gains made 50 years ago June 2014.

Neferina Abrams’s Royal House of Makeda Productions is an edutainment company whose focus is on creating unity within Africa the African Diaspora through the Arts and Entertainment. The Ubuntu-Faqir Simunye Pan African Love and Unity Concert is more than just some music concert, it is a space to network, learn about businesses you can support, put faces to names, build a network, it is a beginning and certainly not the answer to every question.

Ms. Abrams gives a lecture chronically Pan Africa’s historic unity which includes oral testimony from an Ethiopian elder the honorable Getachew Asrat, was a child who helped our Great Leaders plant trees to symbolize the growth of African Unity during the 1963 conference in Ethiopia.

Abrams says, “Think of my show like those trees, I am trying to grow unity through the practice of culture. I am an Africana History lecturer and a visual anthropologist which is a person who studies culture with a camera and makes documentaries.

Sista Dymah Rodgers (singer)
"Living on the Edge"

Next she is traveling to Barbados to do research on enslavement during the research process. She states: “I found records of an ancestor of mine who had been enslaved on the island. I will be doing a documentary which I will show upon my return. I am also getting ready to begin doctoral research in which my thesis will be a feature length documentary on 'Repatriation.’”

Melame Gange’s African Suns celebrates our heroes and the spirit of promise inherent in African sons. We close the show with his single “Dancing Partner.” He writes: "This new lover’s rock reggae anthem pays homage to the 50’s era, celebrating dance culture and the power it brings to the human spirit. Gange’s soulful vocals are accompanied by an assortment of instruments that complement the retro spirit of the song encouraging listeners to find their dancing partner."

“This is a protest song” says the singer. “I’m protesting the end of the era where people used to dance. We need that. We need music that moves people to dance.” The song is available on Movementtunes.com/Melamge_Gange Also visit Gangemusic.com

What I like about the song is Gange’s beautiful vocals. The native Virgin Islander is making his mark on the local and international world of Reggae Music one hit single at a time. This soulful, roots reggae singer, is motivated by a deeper understanding of life, history and culture with a sincere desire to help his people find FREEDOM through music. In addition to his mesmerizing stage presence and captivating voice, his raw vocal talent is most often coupled with issues that he is passionate about, creating a conscious level of music that the people can relate to and “support de ting.” Gange has shared the stage with many of reggae’s royalty bringing forth a message of peace.

Melame Gange is the founder and lead designer of ModeAfrika apparel, a conscious clothing brand that merges history, culture and fashion into each of their unique designs. He is also the founder and Executive Director of Beach Fyah, an annual concert that showcases local music, art and fashion, held at deferent beaches throughout the Caribbean. Stay tuned for Beach Fiyah 2014 “Support de Ting”!

For bookings, drops, dubs and other inquiries contact modeafrika@gmail.com.

2. Nefertina Abrams and Melame Gange join us
to talk about the first annual THE 'UBUNTU-FIQIR SIMUNYE' PAN AFRICAN
LOVE & UNITY CONCERT, July 3 nd 4, 2014, 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. (both
days) at the Humanist Hall in Oakland, CA. Admission is $10 for adults,
children are free.

3. We close with part 1 of an interview with Civil Rights Maverickthe Hon. Dave Dennis,
Freedom Rider and Co-Director of the Council of Federated Organizations
(COFO) in Mississippi. Dennis was the Mississippi director of the
Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), but he worked with SNCC members and
other civil rights activists in Mississippi under the COFO umbrella to
avoid intra-organizational conflicts. COFO organized activists for a
Mississippi voter registration drive during "Freedom Summer." Dennis
spoke at the funeral of James Chaney, and he worked closely with both
Bob Moses and Medgar Evers. Visit http://freedom50.org/;
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/freedomsummer/ (to
watch film on-line)

Vendor at Unity Festival Opening Night

D. Haloka and Sprandore

Gange and Ms. Abrams

Ebun and D. Haloka

W. Sabir, Ebun and musician and
choreographers for the African Dance Troupe

Pan African Unity Festival in Oakland Day 1

Sister Nefertina, Makeda Productions hosted the first day of a two day celebration of Black Love. From the good food, to the great vibrations, libations to the ancestors and wonderful African dance and drumming--it was a memorable evening--Edutainment or food for the soul.

Don't miss Day 2, July 4, 2014, 7 p.m.-1 a.m. at the Humanist Hall in Oakland on 27th Street, between Telegraph and Broadway.